Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present Invention pertains to a hingeless ventilator and in particular to such a device that can be used for recreational vehicles, truck cabs, commercial vehicles, horse trailers, van conversions, and marine applications.
Ventilation of a mobile living space such as found in a recreational vehicle is important for occupant comfort as well as good health. Moreover, desirable ventilation may require admitting fresh air into the living space as well as expelling undesirable air out of the living space. While various powered fan devices and hingeless ventilators have been employed for this purpose, many of these intrude into the living space, thus reducing head clearance in the vicinity of such ventilators.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved hingeless ventilator apparatus that improves the ventilation of mobile living spaces by enhancing air flow that is selectively admitted or expelled, as desired.
It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved hingeless ventilator apparatus that includes a recessed chamber with an aerodynamic shape.
It is still another principal object of the present Invention to provide an improved hingeless ventilator apparatus that includes a recessed chamber that permits the clearance necessary for the operating mechanism of the ventilator to be accommodated while reducing the amount of aerodynamic drag presented by the projection of the clearance space above the roof of the vehicle.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a sloped profile hingeless ventilator for ventilating an enclosure through a wall or roof, includes a frame having an outer surface and an inner surface disposed opposite the outer surface. The frame defines an opening therethrough. The frame defines a border around the opening, and the border includes a front, a first side contiguous with the front, a back contiguous with the first side, and a second side contiguous with the back and with the front.
The ventilator includes a cover having an outside surface and an inside surface disposed opposite the outside surface. The inside surface of the cover is disposed generally to face toward the outer surface of the frame. The cover is selectively swingable relative to the frame between a closed position and open positions that are intermediate the closed position and at least one of the front and the back of the border of the frame. Desirably, the open positions are intermediate both the front and the back of the frame.
The ventilator includes an actuating member extending from the inside surface of the cover and through the opening. The actuating member defines a positioning slot therethrough. The positioning slot defines an elongated shape with an apex portion disposed relatively near the inside surface of the cover and a distal portion disposed at an end of the slot relatively farther from the inside surface of the cover than the apex portion.
The ventilator includes a tensioning rod having opposite ends. The rod extends across the opening and through the positioning slot of the actuating member and extends between opposite sides of the frame. Each of the ends of the rod is non-movably fixed on opposite sides of the frame, and the rod is maintained under tension to bias the cover toward the frame.
A handle is secured to the actuating member. The positioning slot defines a shape that includes at least one side branch that extends generally away from the apex portion so that when an operator grasps the handle and arcs the actuating member about the tensioning rod, the cover swings in at least one direction to at least one open position.
The ventilator includes a sloped recessed chamber connected to the frame and defining a depth configured to contain the actuating member and the handle. The recessed chamber defines a base connected to the frame. The recessed chamber defines a mounting flange that Is disposed generally parallel to the base and opposed to the base. The recessed chamber defines a sloping front panel extending at an angle between the base and the mounting flange. The recessed chamber defines a sloping rear panel extending at an angle between the base and the mounting flange. The recessed chamber defines a first side panel extending between the base and the mounting flange and between the front panel and the rear panel. The recessed chamber defines a second side panel extending between the base and the mounting flange and between the front panel and the rear panel.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one presently preferred embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.